GLASS

COMPLETE PIANO ETUDES

J E R O E N VA N V E E N P I A N O
Philip Glass b. 1968
Complete Piano Etudes
Etudes for Piano Book I
1. Etude 1 in G minor 6’29
2. Etude 2 in A minor 7’26
3. Etude 3 in A 4’46
4. Etude 4 in D minor 4’23
5. Etude 5 in F minor 9’49
6. Etude 6 in F minor 5’49
7. Etude 7 in A minor 14’40
8. Etude 8 in C 7’03
9. Etude 9 in F minor 3’53
10. Etude 10 in E-Flat 8’37
Jeroen van Veen piano
Recording: 27-28 February 2017, Van Veen Productions, Studio II, Pernissimo, Pernis, The Netherlands
Produced by: Van Veen Productions for Brilliant Classics
Executive Producer: Jeroen van Veen

Engineered & Mastered by: Pianomania
Microphones: DPA 4006A
Piano: Yamaha Grand Piano C7
Photo Jeroen van Veen: David de Haan
Liner notes: Jeroen van Veen, Philip Glass
Music published by: Chester Music
Software: Pro Tools, Logic & Sequoia
p & © 2017 Brilliant Classics
Etudes for piano; who doesn’t know them? Anybody who ever tried to play the piano
and had lessons does remember them, especially Carl Czerny (the etude champion
who wrote more than 1000 piano etudes!). What is the definition of an etude:
a specific technical skill developed into a whole piece. Triads, scales, rhythmical
Etudes for Piano Book II
patterns, voicing, chord progressions, trills; all turned into a piece of music to
11. Etude 11 in C minor 8’29
practice over and over again. Repeat until you master the skills and can go on to the
12. Etude 12 in D minor 7’44
next one. The situation began to change in the 19th century when composers were
13. Etude 13 in F 4’57
striving to create music that would both please the audiences in concert and serve as
14. Etude 14 in A-Flat 6’16
a good teaching tool for themselves. Such combination of didactic and musical value
15. Etude 15 in D 7’46
in a study is sometimes referred to as a concert study. Frédéric Chopin and Franz
16. Etude 16 in G minor 5’43
Liszt were the first to compose such a pieces; Chopin wrote his Etudes opus 10 and
17. Etude 17 in F minor 8’42
25 (24 etudes plus three new etudes) and Liszt wrote 6 Paganini Etudes (6 etudes,
18. Etude 18 in G minor 4’28
including the famous La Campanella) and his Transcendental Études (12 etudes with
19. Etude 19 in C 5’50
each a name). Many composers followed this new genre; Schumann (Paganini, 12
20. Etude 20 in C 10’03
Symphonic Studies), Brahms (51 Studies, Paganini), Skrjabin (Opus 2, 8, 42 & 65),
Debussy (12 Etudes), Rachmaninoff (17 Etudes Tableaux), Cage (Etudes Australes),
Ligeti (18 Etudes) and now also Philip Glass.
From the printed sheet music; Philip Glass comments on his Etudes:
The twenty Etudes for piano were composed during the years from 1991 to 2012.
Their final configuration into Book I and Book 2 was determined by the music itself
in the course of its composition.
Book I (Etudes 1-10) had a twin objective- to explore a variety of tempi, textures and
piano techniques. At the same time it was meant to serve as a pedagogical tool by
which I would improve my piano playing. In these two ways Book I succeeded very
well. I learned a great deal about the piano and in the course of learning the music, I
became a better player.
New projects came along and interrupted the work on the Etudes for several years. Jeroen Van Veen (1969) started
Perhaps for that reason, when I took up work with the Etudes again I found the playing the piano at the age of 7. He
music was following a new path. Though I had several settled questions of piano studied at the Utrecht Conservatory
techniques for myself in Book I, the music in Book 2 quickly began to suggest a series with Alwin Bär and Håkon Austbö.
of new adventures in harmony and structure. In 1993 he passed the Performing
Artists’ Exam. Van Veen has played
In this way, Book 1 and 2, taken together, suggest a real trajectory that includes a with orchestras conducted by
broad range of music and technical ideas. Howard Williams (Adams), Peter
Eötvös (Zimmermann), Neal Stulberg
In the end, the Etudes are meant to be appreciated not only by the general listener, (Mozart & Bartok) and Robert Craft
but especially by those who have the ability and patience to learn, play and perform (Stravinsky). He has played recitals in
the music themselves. Europe, Russia, Canada & the USA.
Philip Glass, 20 October 2014 Van Veen attended master classes
with Claude Helffer, Roberto Szidon,
There were a number of special events and commissions that facilitated the Ivan Klánsky and Leonid Hambro.
composition of the Etudes by Philip Glass. The original set of Etudes was composed He was invited to several festivals;
for Dennis Russell Davies on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 1994. These Etudes Reder Piano Festival (1988), Festival
were later renumbered as Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10. der Kunsten in Bad Gleichenberg
Etude 6 was commissioned in 1994 by WNYC for John Schaefer’s new music (1992), Wien Modern (1993),
program in the original title Now, So Long After That Time. The Sydney Festival Holland Dance Festival (1998, 2010)
commissioned etude 7 in 1996. Etudes 12 and 13 were commissioned by Bruce Lek Art Festival (1996-2007). Van
Levingston in 2007 and premiered in New York at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Veen recorded for major Dutch
Etude 17 was commissioned for the 25th Anniversary of the Menil Collection in Radio- and Television companies like
Houston, TX and premiered in 2012. AVRO, NOS, IKON, NCRV, TROS/Internet, WTBC-TV & Radio (Florida, U.S.A.)
The three final Etudes 18, 19 and 20 were commissioned by the Perth International and Moscow Television. In 1992, Van Veen recorded his first album as Piano duo
Arts Festival in 2012 in honor of Glass’s 75th birthday, and premiered 16 February 2013. Van Veen. In 1995 Piano duo Van Veen made their debut in the United States. They
were prizewinners in the prestigious 4th International Murray Dranoff Two Piano
Each of the 20 Etudes handles a specific piano technique. Some are really refreshing Competition in Miami, Florida. After this achievement they toured the United States
new, and really add something to the existing Piano Repertoire. In almost all the
etudes the endurance is the main issue to overcome.
© Jeroen van Veen
and Canada many times. The documentary “Two Pianos One Passion” (nominated
with an Emmy Award 1996) portrays them as a duo. In 2016 Van Veen was awarded
with the NPO Radio 4 2016 Award, for his efforts and promotion of classical music
beyond the concert halls. His lie-down (ligconcert®) concerts were praised as an
example how classical music can attract new audiences.
The various compositions by Van Veen may be described as Minimal Music with
different faces, Crossovers to Jazz, Blues, Soundscape, Avant-Garde, Techno, Trance
and Pop Music. His Minimal Preludes for piano, and his NLXL are some of his most
played pieces worldwide. His latest Minimal Piano Concerto Continuum was a great
success. In 2015 he premiered his Incanto nr 2 in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw
with Sandra van Veen.
Currently Mr. Van Veen is director of Van Veen Productions, Chairman of the
Simeon ten Holt Foundation, Pianomania Foundation and artistic director of several
music festivals. He is also active as Overseas Artistic Director in the Murray Dranoff
Two Piano Competition based in Miami. Over the last 25 years Van Veen recorded Thanks to Pianomania
more than 150 albums and 5 DVD’s, mostly for Brilliant Classics. His dicography
includes: Adams, Einaudi, Glass, JacobTV, Minimal Piano Collections, Nietzsche,
Nyman, Pärt, Reich, Richter, Riley, Stravinsky, Tiersen, Ten Holt, Van Veen, Yiruma
and many others.
Van Veen is also praised for his productivity some say; ‘the man who records faster
than his shadow’.

“Dutch pianist and composer, Jeroen van Veen, the leading exponent of minimalism
today”, Alan Swanson (Fanfare)
“Jeroen van Veen has for many years been a powerhouse in the piano world of the
Netherlands and beyond”, Dominy Clements ( Musicweb-International)
“The Maximal Minimalist Missionary”, Raymond Tuttle (Fanfare)